"The way of isolation is not adequate. We may freeze our membership, but under the crisis conditions, we should not make a final decision," the Russian delegation to the Assembly, Alexei Pushkov says

Alexei Pushkov

MOSCOW, April 18, 12:15 /ITAR-TASS/. A full withdrawal of Russia from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is not quite a right step. It will lead to self-isolation of Russia, the chairman of the State Duma's committee for international affairs and the head of the Russian delegation to the Assembly, Alexei Pushkov, told a Duma meeting on Friday during discussion of a statement of the Russian parliament's lower house to respond to the PACE anti-Russian resolution.

According to Pushkov, if Russia quits the PACE forever, it will lose the possibility to influence European policies and will isolate itself. "The way of isolation is not adequate. We may freeze our membership, but under the crisis conditions, we should not make a final decision," he noted.

However, he added the State Duma in its statement planned to demand full restoration of all the powers in Strasburg and lifting of all the sanctions to continue the dialogue between Russia and the Assembly.